Opposition lawmaker Shahjahan Chowdhury on Saturday criticised the proposed 2026–27 national budget, accusing the government of prioritising business interests over those of Bangladesh’s 18 crore people.
Taking part in the budget debate in the Jatiya Sangsad, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP from Chattogram-15 told Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury that the budget reflected his business background rather than the needs of the wider population.
“You are from a business family. So, you gave a business-friendly budget,” he said.
Shahjahan said the current parliament had been formed with unprecedented public expectations.
“This Parliament is not like those of the past 54 years. Eighteen crore people have formed this Parliament with enormous hopes and aspirations,” he said.
Referring to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent visits to Malaysia and China, he said the unanimous adoption of a thanksgiving motion in parliament reflected the spirit of Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman’s slogan, “Let’s build Bangladesh together.”
Turning back to the budget, the opposition MP said he had expected a people-centred financial plan from a finance minister who had previously served as president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry and chairman of the Chittagong Stock Exchange.
“But you did not present a budget for 18 crore people…. Is Bangladesh only for businessmen? No. Bangladesh belongs to its 18-crore people—farmers, workers, labourers and people from all walks of life,” he said.
He recalled former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, saying he had consulted opposition leaders before finalising national budgets and sought their cooperation.
Shahjahan also questioned whether those who prepared the current budget reflected the spirit of the July movement. He alleged that many officials involved in drafting budgets under the previous Awami League government had also prepared the current one.
Calling agriculture vital to the country's economy, he urged the government to increase budget allocations for the sector, warning that Bangladesh could not survive without its farmers.
He also proposed greater investment in offshore gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal, saying neighbouring countries were already extracting gas from nearby offshore areas while domestic demand continued to rise.
The Jamaat lawmaker criticised Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed over his recent remarks about Jamaat-e-Islami. Referring to the minister’s comments that the party was not an Islamic party, Shahjahan said there was no need for anyone to issue a religious verdict on the matter.
“To understand Jamaat-e-Islami, one has to know its 100-year history. Whether it is an Islamic party or something else does not require anyone’s fatwa,” he said.
In an apparent reference to the home minister, he added: “People in Chattogram now call him the modern-day Mufti, but he does not even know Alif, Ba, Ta.”
The opposition MP also alleged that, despite four months in office, the government had failed to stop corruption in the power sector linked to capacity payments and had not ensured uninterrupted electricity supplies.
He further alleged that Tk 85,000 crore had been looted from Islami Bank and claimed that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana had laundered large sums of money abroad. He said the finance minister had made no reference to those issues in his budget speech.
Shahjahan also criticised the government for failing to present an effective anti-corruption strategy, claiming it had yet to reconstitute the Anti-Corruption Commission while reducing budget allocations for anti-corruption efforts.
He called for increased funding for several ministries, particularly the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
The lawmaker also urged the government to modernise Chattogram Port, saying its inability to accommodate large vessels directly increased costs and reduced efficiency.
“We have to modernise Chattogram Port and develop it along the lines of Singapore,” he said, recalling that former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia had declared Chattogram the country’s commercial capital.
